Device for handling a plurality of informational mediums



Nov. 17, 1964 w. c. THOMAS 3,157,425

DEVICE FOR HANDLING A PLURALITY OF INFORMATIONAL MEDIUMS Filed Aug. 23, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I l h /[IIIIIII N Q q m K A INVENTOR 2 William (ZThomas ATTORNEY AGENT Nov. 17, 1964 w. c. THOMAS DEVICE FOR HANDLING A PLURALITY OF INFORMATIONAL MEDIUMS Filed Aug. 23, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WilliamGThomas BY 29 %4 ATTORNEY AGENT l \ltzgg f? Nov. 17, 1964 w. c. THOMAS DEVICE FOR HANDLING A PLURALITY 0F INFORMATIONAL MEDIUMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 23, 1961 INVENTOR 1i \N'illzam C Thomas 3W mm.

United States Patent 0 3,157,425 DEVICE F012 HANDLHNG A FPLURAHTY 9F INFGRMATEGNAL MEDIUMS C. Thomas, Rochester, N.Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 133,513 6 Claims. (ill. 2487) This invention relates to an apparatus or device for handling a plurality of informational mediums for purposes of transporting these mediums between files and equipment utilizing said mediums.

Informational mediums can consist of punched or printed cards, documents and the like. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, such informational mediums are relatively small photographic films. Mediums of the type used in this embodiment are provided with rectangular apertures which may be used to support the mediums adjacent one edge thereof. relative need of sorting and filing large numbers of these mediums, the problem of transporting them is quite apart from what has been heretofore solved in the use of the larger well-known cards.

As disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,860,906, it has been found that these small informational mediums can best be handled by a device which will permit a number of such mediums to be handled or transported as a unit. In this way particularly in instances where the mediums are a light-sensitive material or film, handling of the mediums by the file clerk or operator is not necessary and the problem of finger prints, smudges, etc, appearing on the mediums is entirely eliminated. Since all of the sorting, filing, collating, duplicating and other operations are performed by suitable machines, the operator is required only to insert and remove the mediums from the various apparatus. By means of the device to be described hereinafter, this operation of handling and transporting the mediums can be accomplished without touching the mediums. Further, because of the shape of the aperture in the mediums and the congruent shape of the element of the device inserted into the aperture, the mediums are prevented from turning or twisting on the element, thereby permitting the rnediums to be easily inserted into and removed from the magazines of the various apparatus.

Many of the machines presently utilizing these mediums have such high speed manipulating characteristics that an operator handling s ngle units of mediums can be kept quite busy. Further, many of the file systems need arbitrary classification by the units because individual units holding all the required mediums would tend to be oversize and cumbersome. it has, therefore, been discovered that larger numbers of mediums are usually required, thereby necessitating transportation in even larger groups. This, however, can be accomplished because the relative weights of the units permits handling them in groups.

This invention relates to an apparatus for handling such .ediums and for handling units of mediums and the like in groups. It may consist of one or more file sticks, each capable of holding a number or" mediums by insertion into the apertures of the mediums, keepers or releasable retainers on either end of each stick to retain the mediums on the stick, a group handle capable of carrying one or more of the sticks and a means for removing the retainers for utilization of the mediums.

It is the primary object of the invention, therefore, to provide an apparatus or device for handling a plurality of informational mediums as a unit or in groups and on which such mediums are retained in a fixed and contiguous relation to the device and to each other.

Another object of the invention is to provide an appa- Because of the size and the 3,157,425 Patented Nov. 17, 1964 ice ratus for handling a plurality of informational mediums in which the mediums are retained in contiguous relation on an elongated member between a member fixed to one end of the elongated member and a member slidable along the elongated member.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for handling a plurality of informational Inediums on an elongated member having a handle means at one end and a member movable along said elongated member.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in which the handle means and releasable member are both similar in construction and removable from the elongated member.

Another object is to provide an additional handle means which, when attached to the first handle means, would permit transportation of a plurality of the informational medium handling units.

And yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is simple in construction and readily adapted to inserting into and removing from a magazine a plurality of informational bearing mediums as a And still another object is to provide a releasable means which will permit removal of a plurality of the releasable members of the apparatus.

ther objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description which follows.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of a medium and showing the arrangement of the information thereon and the aperture by which the mediums are received by the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a view of a type of sorter utilizing the mediums;

FIG. 3 is a view showing the insertion of the mediums in the sorter;

FIG. 4 is a view of the file stick employed in this in' vention;

PEG. 5 is a perspective of one of the stick assemblies;

FlG. 6 is a rear elevation of a keeper, or releasable retainer;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a keeper takenon the section 7-7;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a keeper;

FIG. 9 is a section of the keeper taken on 9'9;

FIG. 10 is a front w'ew of the carrier and the attached keepers employed in this invention;

FIG. 11 is a side view of the carrier and attached keepers;

FIG. 12 is a section of the carrier and keepers at 12 12;

FIG. 13 is a partial sectional side view of the tray and attached keepers employed in this invention; and

FIG. 14 is a partial section taken on 1414.

The medium ll disclosed in FIG. 1 is obtained by sev-- ering, after processing, the film strip exposed in the camera disclosed in the above-mentioned patent. Medium 1% is approximately five-eighths of an inch wide and one and one-quarter inches long. A rectangular aperture 11 is provided at one end thereof for a purpose to be described hereinafter. Adjacent the aperture 11, an area i2. of code has been exposed and adjacent the code area is the document image area 13. Each medium is capable of having fourteen document images exposed thereon, seventy lines of code, or a combination of lines of code and document images, as shown in FIG. 1. The code is utilized for purposes of information, classification, etc., and relates to the document images on the same medium.

inasmuch as the invention is utilized in the same manner in the various apparatuses utilized for filing, sorting,

horizontal side.

etc., the mediums, it is deemed to be suflicient to briefly describe only how the mediums are stacked in a sorter to illustrate the use of the invention, it being understood that it will similarly be employed in other apparatuses. The mediums 10, as shown in FIG. 2 are arranged in a vertical stack over an aperture 14 contained in an aperture plate 15 of the apparatus utilizing the mediums 19. Alignment of the mediums 10 is maintained by means of a file stick 16, to be described hereinafter, inserted in the aperttu'es 1 1 of the medium-s 10. Lips 17 are provided on the aperture plate 15, thus making the aperture 14 of slightly smaller dimension than the mediums 10. The lips 17. retain the mediums 10 in a standby position until ready for use. The lower end of the stick 16 is positioned below the upper surface of the aperture plate 15 to ensure a continuous stack. Provision of a non-circular aperture '11 and a file stick 16 congruous thereto can further retain alignment by preventing turning on the stick 16; There are usually several apertures 14 properly spaced within the plate '15.

Use of the mediums 10 from the stack can be accomplished by means of a movable vacuum ported plunger 18. The plunger 18 is raised to a position below the bottom medium 10 in the stack. The flexibility of the medium 10 will then allow it to pass through the aperture 14 and become attached to the plunger 18 when sufficient vacuum is applied to the plunger 13. The medium 10 can thus be transmitted or replaced in the stack at high speeds. The use of the aperture plate 15 and plunger 18 is but one of many desirable utilizing means.

Thus the problem of handling the mediums can readily be appreciated when considering that each of the aforementioned stack-s retain approximately two thousand of these small mediums 10, and during insertion or removal of the stacks, these mediums 10 must be retained in a particular order;

-To permit rapid handling of the stacks of mediums 10, the stick 16 of each stack may further be used as a transporting means. In the preferred form as shown in FIG. 4, the file stick 16 has a non-circular cross-section congruent to the aperture 11 and is provided with holes 19 at both ends for use in attaching the removable keeper means to be described hereinafter. The stick 16 may also have further holes 20 near the ends for use in mounting.

FIGS. '5-9 disclose the removable keeper means stated above. Each keeper 21 includes a block 22 having a blind slot 23 parallel to and adjacent one vertical side thereof and capable of receiving the file stick 16 from a The side opposite the aforementioned vertical side includes a recess 24. A bore 26 joins the slot 23. and the recess 24. Slidably within the bore 26 is a'releasable catch 27 entering the slot 23 and having a nose 28 for engaging the holes 19 of the stick 16. The catch-27 has secured thereto a rod 29 which terminates in a latching plate 25 disposed Within recess 24. A spring 30 engaging the rod 29 and the block 22 urges the catch 27 into the slot 23 and hole 19, thereby retaining the file stick 16. The keeper 21 can be further provided with pins 31 laterally fixed to the rod 29 and slidable within guide slots 32 of the block 22. Pin recesses 33 are disposed on each side of the block 22 and the pins 31 project into these recesses so that the pins may be grasped on the side of the block but do not project beyond the outer faces of the block. 7

The keeper 21 also may include a T-mernber 34 rigidly V fixed to the horizontal side of the block 22 opposite the entry of the file stick 16. In the preferred form, the overall dimensions of the keeper 21 in the plane of the mediums 10 should be smaller than the aperture 14 of the aperture plate 15. This will permit ready passage of the keeper 21 through the aperture 14. It is to be noted that the keeper 21 may be used at both ends of the file stick 16. In this manner, the keeper 21 may function as either a handle, as at 35, to transport the filing stick and mediums or a retainer, as at 36, to retain the medium-s 10 on the stick 16 during'the transportation.

The handling unit may further include a shoe 37 having a slot 38 capable of receiving the stick 16' The shoe 37 may be frictionally engaged with the stick 16 by any known means which will permit movement of the shoe 37 in either direction along the stick 16. The mediums 16 are thereby retained in a contiguous relation between the shoe 37 and the retainer 36. i

The file stick 16 may be provided with the mounting holes 20, preferably located such that they are exposed when'keepers 21 are attached. These holes 20 may have many purposes, but their primary use can be to mount the stick 16 in the operating position relative to the aperture plate 15. Other purposes may be to mount the unit in a filing cabinet or to engage the shoe 37 in any known manner that is also easily releasable by light touch. By manually engaging the shoe 37 at the upper hole 26, a visual inspection of the mediums can be accomplished; and during the actual use of the unit, the

shoe 37 can be engaged at the lower hole 219 to prevent its sliding too close to the vacuum plunger 18.

In summary the handling unit may comprise a keeper 21 functioning as handle 35, a file stick 16 having its upper end attached to the handle 35, a shoe 37 movable on the stick 16 and below which are a stack of informational mediums 10, and a keeper 21 functioning as a retainer 36 attached to the lower end or" the file stick 16 and retaining the mediums 19 thereon.

In using the handling unit, the unit is transported to the apparatus utilizing the mediums and lowered into an aperture 14 of the apparatus as shown in FIG. 3. The keeper 21 (retainer 36) passes readily through the aperture 14, but the mediums 14 are held by the lips 17. The keeper 21 may then be removed by means of latching plate 25 or pins 31. The file stick is then raised into the operating position shown in FIG. 2. Removal of the unit may be accomplished by lowering the stick 16, attaching the keeper-retainer 36 and then lifting the unit clear of the aperture plate 15.

As mentioned before the relative weight of these units permits the convenience of handling them in groups. This is done by means of the carrier 39 shown in FIGS. 10-12. In this embodiment, the carrier comprises an L-shaped frame 40 having a handle 41 and a series of notches 42 in the base part 43 of the frame 40. The notches 42 have a width equivalent to that of the stern of the T-mem: ber 34 attached to the keeper 21. Each unit is then held by the T-member '34 of the keeper-handle 35 inserted into the notch 42. To prevent the units from slipping out of the carrier, a locking plate 44 may be pivotally mounted on the frame 40 as at 45 to engage the margin of the base part 43 at the openings of the notches/$2. Springs 46 may be used to urge the locking plate 44 to the engaging position. A tab 47 on the plate 4-4 can be used to release the engagement. The notches 42 are separated by a center distance sufficient to provide clearance between the several handling units. In the preferred form this distance would equal the center distance between the apertures 14 of the aperture plate 15 contained in the utilizing apparatus. This would permit not only handling the units in a group, but also inserting them in a group. Further, relative rigidity during handling may be obtained by constructing the T-member 34 such that its stem has a height equal to the thickness of the base part 43.

Since insertion of the units into the apparatus may be accomplished in groups, it would also be advantageous to permit removal of the keeper-retainer 36 in groups. This may be done by a tray 48 as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14.

In the preferred form the tray 48 comprises frame 49 having a holder plate 50 attached to the lower side thereof and a handle platen 51 attached to the upper side, the holder plate 50 and handle'plate 51 being substantially perpendicular to the frame 49 and extending in opposite of holes 52, preferably spaced like the notches 42 in the carrier 39 and the apertures rd of the aperture plate 15. Releasing member 53, disposed in the holes 552, may comprise a comb having L-shaped teeth 54 over the plate 5% capable of engaging the keeper 21 between the block 22 and the latching plate 25, as shown in FIG. 13. Bell crank 55, pivotally mounted on the underside of the handle plate 59 at its axis, is attached to the releasing member 53 by one arm and has disposed on its other arm a spring-catch 56 capable of releasably engaging an opening 57 in the handle plate 51.

In the operation of the tray 43, the holder plate 59 is placed, below the keeper-retainer 36 and the teeth 54 of the releasing member 53 are inserted between the latching plates 25 and blocks 22. By lifting arm of the bell crank 55, the spring loaded catch 27 releases the stick l6, and the tray 4-? and keepers 21 may be Withdrawn. The keepers 21 can be securely held by the tray 48 by designing the tray 43 such that when the bell crank 55 is held up by the spring catch 5d, the latching plates 25 are engageably held between the teeth 5 and the frame 49.

The T-members 34- may also have other uses. They can be used to lift the handling units from a closely packed file cabinet, or they may be used as a means to hang the unit on any known overhead conveyor as a method of transportation. 7

By constructing the carrier 39 and tray 48 to be releasable, many advantages result. that they may be designed in any manner to conform with the particular orientation of apertures 14 in a given machine. This will permit the use of the same file stick 16 in various machines.

It is to be understood, though, that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, Without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. Apparatus for handling and simultaneously positioning a pluralityof stacks of informational mediums in prearranged magnines receiving the stacks, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of vertically elongated support members each supporting a stack of informational mediums, and each support member having a detachable retaining member at the lower end thereof to retain the stack;

a carrier including edge means defining a plurality of open ended slots, each slot being shaped to receive the upper end of one of said support members through its respective open end and the slots being spaced on the carrier in an arrangement correspond ing to a preselected arrangement of stack receiving magazines, and the carrier further including retaining means yieldably urging the upper ends of the sup-' port members in the slots against the edge means to selectively retain the support members thereon; and release means including means to selectively engage the retaining members on the lower ends of the support members held by the carrier and means to simultaneously detach and remove the retaining members to permit utilization of the informational mediums. 2. Apparatus for handling and simultaneously position ing a plurality of stacks of informational mediums in prearranged stack receiving magazines, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of vertically elongated support members each supporting a stack of informational mediums, each support member having a detachable retaining member at the lower end of the support member to retain the stack;

a carrier including a horizontal plate defining a plurality of open ended slots spaced along an edge there- The most important is 5 of in an arrangement corresponding to a preselected arrangement of stack receiving magazines, each slot being shaped to receive through its respective open end the upper end of one of said support members :ith the support member suspending vertically therefrom; a vertical plate attached to the horizontal plate at a location spaced from the said horizontal plate edge with the upper portion of the vertical plate being formed to extend toward the said edge and defining a handle portion; and retaining means to selectively retain the support members in the slots, the retaining means including a locking plate pivotably mounted on the vertical surface and means yieldably urging the locking plate against the horizintal plate at the open ends of the slots; and I I release means including a frame having an extended plate, an operating member pivotably mounted on said frame, and a comb member slideably mounted on said extended plate and coupled to said operating member to slide in response to pivoting of the operating member, the comb member having means selectively engageable with the retaining members on the lower ends of the support members held by the carrier to simultaneously detach and permit removal of the retaining members upon actuation of the operating member.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the retaining means further includes a centrally arranged actuating member adjacent the handle, the actuating member operahly attached to the locking plate to move the locking plate to a position away from the horizontal plate and permit removal of the support members from the said open ended slots.

4. Apparatus for handling and simultaneously positioning a plurality of stacks of informational mediums in a plurality of prearranged stack receiving magazines, each medium having a non-circular aperture adjacent one edge thereof, the apparatus comprising in combination:

a plurality of elongated sticks, each insertable into the medium apertures of a stack'of informational mediums; a plurality of retaining members, each engaging an end of a respective stick to retain a stack of mediums on the stick; a carrier including edge means defining a plurality of open ended slots spaced in an arrangement corresponding to a selected prearrangement of stack receiving magazines, each slot being shaped to receive a portion of the retaining member on one end of each stick w'th the stick and its stack of informational mediums suspending therefrom in a vertical direction; and

release means including means to selectively engage the retainingmernbers at the other ends of the sticks and means to simultaneously detach and remove the retaining members at the other ends of the sticks to permit utilization of the informational mediums by the magazines.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein each re- I taining member includes a T member, the T member being shaped for insertion into one of said open ended slots.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the releasing means includes a movable comb member engageable with each of said retaining means on the other ends of said sticks, and a tray for holding the detached retaining means.

References (lifted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 672,522 Dodd Apr. 23, 1901 805,570 Maldaner Nov. 28, 1905 1,611,550 Moss Dec. 21, 1926 2,555,666 Young June 5, 1951 2,860,906 Bornemann et al Nov. 18, 1958 3,094,754 Wayne June 25, 1963 

1. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND SIMULTANEOUSLY POSITIONING A PLURALITY OF STACKS OF INFORMATIONAL MEDIUM IN PREARRANGED MAGAZINES RECEIVING THE STACKS, THE APPARATUS COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY ELONGATED SUPPORT MEMBERS EACH SUPPORTING A STACK OF INFORMATIONAL MEDIUMS, AND EACH SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A DETACHABLE RETAINING MEMBER AT THE LOWER END THEREOF TO RETAIN THE STACK; A CARRIER INCLUDING EDGE MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF OPEN ENDED SLOTS, EACH SLOT BEING SHAPED TO RECEIVE THE UPPER END OF ONE OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS THROUGH ITS RESPECTIVE OPEN END AND THE SLOTS BEING SPACED ON THE CARRIER IN AN ARRANGEMENT CORRESPONDING TO A PRESELECTED ARRANGEMENT OF STACK RECEIVING MAGAZINES, AND THE CARRIER FURTHER INCLUDING RETAINING MEANS YIELDABLY URGING THE UPPER ENDS OF THE SUPPORT MEMBERS IN THE SLOTS AGAINST THE EDGE MEANS TO SELECTIVELY RETAIN THE SUPPORT MEMBERS THEREON; AND RELEASE MEANS INCLUDING MEANS TO SELECTIVELY ENGAGE THE RETAINING MEMBERS ON THE LOWER ENDS OF THE SUPPORT MEMBERS HELD BY THE CARRIER AND MEANS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY DETACH AND REMOVE THE RETAINING MEMBERS TO PERMIT UTILIZATION OF THE INFORMATIONAL MEDIUMS. 